Vulnerable Plaque
Authors: James C. Doherty, Marvin A. McMillen
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1999)

Letters7 September 1999Vulnerable PlaqueJames C. Doherty, MD and Marvin A. McMillen, MDJames C. Doherty, MDUniversity of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and Michael Reese Hospital; Chicago, IL 60616 (Doherty)University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and Michael Reese Hospital; Chicago, IL 60616 (McMillen)Search for more papers by this author and Marvin A. McMillen, MDUniversity of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and Michael Reese Hospital; Chicago, IL 60616 (Doherty)University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and Michael Reese Hospital; Chicago, IL 60616 (McMillen)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-131-5-199909070-00016 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Kullo and colleagues (1) identify many important factors contributing to plaque vulnerability, including endothelial dysfunction, plaque inflammation, and abnormal lipid metabolism. For the past 8 years, our own laboratory has focused on the role of endothelin-1 as a cytokine. Although commonly recognized for its role as an endothelial-derived vasoconstrictor, endothelin-1 is also a product of activated cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage (2) and modulates inflammatory cytokine production by these same cells (3). It is also a mitogen for endothelial cells and vascular smooth-muscle cells in vitro (4) and is angiogenic in a rat corneal angiogenesis assay (5).... References1. Kullo IJ, Edwards WD, Schwartz RS. Vulnerable plaque: pathobiology and clinical implications. Ann Intern Med. 1998;129:1050-60. LinkGoogle Scholar2. Ehrenreich H, Anderson RW, Fox CH, Rieckmann P, Hoffman GS, Travis WD, et al . Endothelins, peptides with potent vasoactive properties, are produced by human macrophages. J Exp Med. 1990;172:1741-8. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Cunningham ME, Huribal M, Bala RJ, McMillen MA. Endothelin-1 and endothelin-4 stimulate monocyte production of cytokines. Crit Care Med. 1997;25:958-64. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Battistini B, Chailler P, D'Orléans-Juste P, Briere N, Sirois P. Growth regulatory properties of endothelins. Peptides. 1993;14:385-99. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Bek EL, Organ GM, Ferguson LP, McMillen MA. Endothelins 1 and 3 are angiogenic. Surgical Forum. 1998;49:500-1. Google Scholar6. Zeiher AM, Goebel H, Schachinger V, Ihling C. Tissue endothelin-1 immunoreactivity in the active coronary atherosclerotic plaque. A clue to the mechanism of increased vasoreactivity of the culprit lesion in unstable angina. Circulation. 1995;91:941-7. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and Michael Reese Hospital; Chicago, IL 60616 (Doherty)University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and Michael Reese Hospital; Chicago, IL 60616 (McMillen) PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoVulnerable Plaque: Pathobiology and Clinical Implications Iftikhar J. Kullo , William D. Edwards , and Robert S. Schwartz Vulnerable Plaque Lanfranco de' Clari Vulnerable Plaque Iftikhar J. Kullo , William D. Edwards , and Robert S. Schwartz Vulnerable Plaque Guha Krishnaswamy , David S. Chi , and Jim Kelley Metrics 7 September 1999Volume 131, Issue 5Page: 393KeywordsCellsCytokinesLesionsLipid metabolismPathogenesisResearch laboratoriesSepsisShockStable coronary artery diseaseVasoconstriction Issue Published: 7 September 1999 CopyrightCopyright © 1999 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...